Page 6 of Mountain Man’s Hayride Honey (Wildwood Valley Harvest #4)

CALLIOPE

T he sight of a bulky mountain man mixed among the much smaller customers gathered in front of my booth made me smile. It reminded me of that first day when Clayton towered above everyone.

Meeting him had changed my life, and soon I’d be a resident of Wildwood Valley.

“Hi,” I said when the bulky guy finally reached the front of the line.

“You Calliope?” he asked.

I nodded. He withdrew a set of keys—my keys—from his back pocket. “I was looking for Clayton, but I heard he’s out riding guests around on the hayride or something. I’m going to catch a ride back with one of my buddies. Your car’s in the parking lot.”

I stared at him, keys now in my hand. I felt an odd sense of disappointment. I was enjoying relying on Clayton for my transportation. Any excuse to spend time in a confined space with him, the man of my dreams.

“It’s fixed?” I asked.

He nodded. At least he didn’t laugh at my stupid question. Of course, it was fixed. Why else would he be here with the keys? Why else would it be in the parking lot?

“Got it all fixed up. Bad alternator, new battery, brake pads. It wasn’t a big deal, but Clayton said there was no rush.”

“How much do I owe you?” I was afraid to ask.

“Clayton took care of it.”

And with that, he was gone, replaced by a woman and her daughter who each wanted to check out my spider rings. As I waited on them, I felt like my whole body had gone numb.

Clayton had paid for my car repairs. Surely he’d want me to pay him back. But how much was it? Would he tell me the truth? Was he just taking pity on me, or did he really want to take care of me?

I could take care of myself. I had a job and a little savings. Not much, but if I was leaving my apartment to move here, I’d be saving on rent, especially if I was moving in with Clayton.

Was I moving in with Clayton? I’d just met him.

But I was falling in love with him.

My mind continued to spin like that customers drifted by, some buying and some not. By the time the line cleared, I was seconds from hyperventilating.

“Calliope?”

I looked up. It was Parker from the booth directly across from me. We’d met the first day, and we’d spoken a few times. She’d even asked me to turn up my Halloween music so she could enjoy it while she worked.

“Some guy stopped by to ask me to tell you to come to the hayride when you got a minute,” Parker said.

I immediately looked back over my shoulder. I couldn’t see the entrance to the trail from here thanks to a gigantic taco truck, but I assumed that was where the hayride was at the moment. There was only one person who could be asking me to come that way.

“Thanks,” I said, my heart pounding as I stepped around my table and headed in that direction.

As I rounded the taco truck, I spotted Clayton standing beside his truck and the hay wagon, but he wasn’t alone.

A small group of customers was climbing down from the trailer, laughing and chatting about their ride.

He was smiling and nodding at something one of them said, but when he saw me approaching, his entire face lit up.

And he was holding flowers. A small bouquet of autumn wildflowers that looked like he’d picked them himself.

My heart did a little flip in my chest.

“Hey there,” he said as the last of the customers wandered off toward the festival grounds. “How’s business?”

“Good. Busy.” I gestured toward the flowers. “What are those for?”

“You.” He held them out, and I caught a hint of that shy smile I was starting to love. “Figured you might want to take one more ride before the festival ends tomorrow.”

I took the flowers, breathing in their sweet scent. “They’re beautiful. Thank you.”

“So is that a yes?”

I wanted to say yes immediately. Everything in me was screaming yes. But the weight of those car keys in my pocket felt like a stone.

“Clayton, I need to ask you something first.”

His expression grew more serious. “Shoot.”

“Ayden came by with my keys. He said you paid for the repairs.”

“I did.”

“Why?”

He was quiet for a moment, studying my face. “Because I wanted to.”

“That’s not an answer.”

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Because I want to take care of you, Calliope. I want to be the guy who fixes your problems and makes sure you’re safe.”

“But I don’t want to be a burden,” I said, the words tumbling out in a rush. “I don’t want you to think I can’t take care of myself, or that I’m some helpless tourist who?—“

“Hey.” He stepped closer, his hands settling on my shoulders. “Look at me.”

I met his eyes reluctantly.

“You’re not a burden,” he said firmly. “You’re not helpless. And you sure as hell aren’t just some tourist.”

“Then what am I?”

“You’re the woman I’m falling in love with.” The words came out quiet, almost hesitant, like he wasn’t sure he should be saying them yet. “You’re the woman I want to wake up next to every morning. The woman I want to build something with.”

My breath caught. “Clayton…”

“I know we just met. I know this is crazy fast. But I also know I’ve never felt like this about anyone before.” He cupped my face in his hands. “Let me be your hero, Calliope. Not because you need saving, but because taking care of you makes me happier than I’ve been in years.”

I felt tears prick at my eyes. “I can pay you back for the repairs.”

“I don’t want you to pay me back. I want you to let me do things like this because I care about you. Because you matter to me.”

“But what if it doesn’t work out? What if I move here and we?—?”

“What if it does work out?” he interrupted. “What if we realize this is exactly what we’ve both been looking for?”

I stared up at him, this gruff, beautiful man who’d somehow turned my entire world upside down in the span of two days. The man who fixed my car and drove me around town and made me feel things I’d never felt before.

“Okay,” I whispered.

“Okay?”

“Okay, you can be my hero. But I get to be yours too sometimes.”

His smile was brilliant. “Deal.”

He kissed me then, soft and sweet, the flowers crushed between us. When we broke apart, he rested his forehead against mine.

“So, about that hayride,” he said.

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes, I want to go. Yes, I want to move to Wildwood Valley. Yes to all of it.”

He laughed, the sound rich and warm. “Even if it means putting up with a grumpy mountain man?”

“Especially if it means putting up with a grumpy mountain man.”

He helped me up into the truck, then climbed in beside me. As we drove toward the trail, the sun beginning to set behind the mountains, I felt something settle in my chest. Something that felt like coming home.

“So what’s the plan?” I asked as we entered the woods.

“Well, first I’m going to show you the prettiest spot in the whole valley. Then I’m going to kiss you until you’re dizzy. Then we’re going to figure out the rest as we go.”

I laughed, reaching over to take his hand. “I like that plan.”

“Good.” He squeezed my fingers. “Because I’ve got a lot more where that came from.”

As we disappeared into the trees, the hay wagon creaking softly behind us, I couldn’t help but smile. Three days ago, my biggest worry was whether my car would make it to the next festival. Now I was planning a whole new life.

And I couldn’t wait to see what came next.